Wednesday (Feb 13)<\/a><\/h3>\nBecause I can, I am first going to squeeze a night at good ole Harbin Hot Springs<\/strong> into the mix. I depart Reno on Wednesday Feb 13, with the plan of sleeping in the parking lot of Granzella’s Deli in Williams<\/strong>\u00a0tonight, to be at Harbin on Thursday, which happens to be Valentine’s Day, so I will be with the family on Friday night, the beginning of Tyler’s vacation. \u00a0Ain’t semi-retirement fun!<\/p>\nI left Reno too late to do the sunset tour of Colusa Wildlife Refuge<\/strong> as I so love to do. I wander into Williams a little after dark. \u00a0There is a giant convention-type tent filling the official overnight RV parking lot, but no worries, they’re actually quite mellow about these things at Granzella’s. \u00a0I park in the next parking lot, and everyone is fine with that. \u00a0I eat and wifi in the sports bar, walk across the street to my van, and all is well …<\/p>\n Granzellas Deli<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\nWHUFU page for: Granzellas Deli<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
They have a parking lot dedicated to overnighters and trucks carrying boats\/trailers. There's one very comfy stop next to a tree. It's really handy for me as an overnight before Harbin.<\/p>\n<\/p>
<\/p>tonight<\/b>:
\n
Sunset at the Colusa wildlife refuge, park, sports bar that night, then breakfast or coffee and baklava the next morning, get a sando for Harbin, and I'm set! \r<\/p>\n
\r<\/p>\n
Update: last visit, I think someone tried to break into the van while I was drinking and wifiing in the bar. The screen on the little ventilation window in my sliding door was torn, my only theory is someone tried to reach in and unlock the van - yech!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>
Thursday<\/a><\/h3><\/p>\n… until a little before dawn when the garbage trucks start, then a little after dawn when the tent deconstruction crew starts their noisy<\/em> business. \u00a0Clanging of piles of tent poles and rebar tent stakes … for hours. \u00a0So I get up a little earlier than usual and walk across the street for my morning wifi, coffee and food. \u00a0There was one unexpectedly interesting part of the tent deconstruction process, and that is the removal of the tent stakes<\/em>. \u00a0They drive those suckers in really deeply and solidly, and they require a special tool, essentially a six foot long levered pry bar to get them out. \u00a0For the stakes they drove into the actual parking lot asphalt, there is another dude that follows the removal dudes (it takes two dudes tugging on the giant pry bar for the tough ones) to pound some kind of sand mixture into the holes to repair the surface. \u00a0I was pretty impressed with the operation, a much bigger and more layered deal than I would’ve thought to “simply” take a big tent down.<\/p>\nAnyway, 11AM, I’m off on the very pretty drive west on 20 through the low mountains that are the west side of the Central Valley. \u00a0Left on 29 to Clear Lake<\/strong>, then south to Middletown<\/strong> and Harbin. \u00a0It was very green and extra pretty. \u00a0I used to do the drive to Harbin in one day from Reno. Doing that, this part of the drive would be 3 hours into the trip and I would be too stressed and tired to much enjoy it. But as a relaxed, first thing in the morning drive it is quite nice.<\/p>\n Harbin Hot Springs<\/b><\/span><\/span><\/div>\nWHUFU page for: Harbin Hot Springs<\/a><\/b><\/p>\n
All through the 90's and 00's this was my favorite getaway - old resort in the hills, a very hot pool, a just-right pool, a cold plunge, a lap pool that rocks on hot summer days, a cozy lodge, breakfast in the morning, expensive espresso drinks all day, world music dance every Tues and Thurs night. \r<\/p>\n
\r<\/p>\n
That whole vibe got vaporized in the fire. But the wonderful hot water is still coming out of the ground and the tubs (and beautiful ironwork railings) are still here!\r<\/p>\n
\r<\/p>\n
Last few visits before the cleansing fire I thought they were getting a little too taken with themselves. A Harbin parking ticket?! Give me a break.\r<\/p>\n
\r<\/p>\n
Then came the fire that consumed all the beautiful old wooden buildings. Everything that wasn't stone or metal was gone.\r<\/p>\n
On the way to rebuilding came COVID, now they're back!\r<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p>
<\/p>tonight<\/b>:
\n
Even this though is my first visit since I started recording this database, I've been here many times before. \r<\/p>\n
\r<\/p>\n
I stayed in actual rooms 4-5 times in the 90's when I worked at Autodesk, then I've camped here between 2 and 4 times a year since ... 2002? So I'm gonna say I've already visited here over thirty times!\r<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>
<\/a>chillin at Harbin<\/div><\/div><\/p>\nArrive Harbin very early for me, 12:30-ish. \u00a0I settle into my spot, hang out and putter on the laptop till 3-ish, walk over to the pools, soak and hang out till dark-ish, then back to the van for my deli sandwich dinner … then the main event, the reason I always go to Harbin on a Tuesday or Thursday — \u00a0world beat dancing till 10:30! \u00a0The camping area was nearly deserted, as empty as I can remember ever seeing it, so I thought maybe Harbin wasn’t the place for lovers :) \u00a0But the the pools were a real makeout scene (don’t people read the “no sexual activity” signs?!<\/em> :), so I guess all the Valentines couples got rooms … as the cliche goes :) \u00a0The dance was the usual good-natured free for all. \u00a0No excessive PDA, just dancing.<\/p>\nFriday<\/a><\/h3>\nOn most Harbin visits my fear of being hungry all afternoon propels me out of bed and up the hill to get to breakfast before they close down at 9:30am. \u00a0This time however my 24 hours are up at 12:30, so my calculation is that this would be a great time to check out brunch in Middletown. \u00a0I get up when I darn well want to, then mosey up to the lodge to hang out til 12:30. \u00a0I get an americano and a goodie from the barista station tucked in the corner – just like most days at home!<\/p>\n
<\/a>mustard weed along the Silverado Trail<\/div><\/div>\nWhen my time was up I did breakfast at the Cowpoke Cake<\/strong> in Middletown<\/strong>. We are close enough to Wine Country that it cost about $3 more than it should, but it was quite nice after the loudmouthed old dude in the cowboy hat left. Then over the mountain to Calistoga<\/strong> and on to Marin!\u00a0Napa Wine Country<\/strong> as viewed from the Silverado Trail<\/strong> was beautiful today. \u00a0Fields of wild mustard were blanketing the hills and the spaces between the rows of grapevines to quite scenic effect.<\/p>\nThe Silverado Trail became busy Route 29. I made it through early rush hour to San Rafael<\/strong> by four-ish, in time for Tyler to run me ragged for an hour or so, chasing him around their little basketball court and throwing balls of many sizes and shapes until dark. \u00a0It’s very sweet to look back on, but very exhausting at the time. \u00a0It set the tone for the week. \u00a0When the day’s driving was done, he would wear my ass out every night.<\/p>\nSaturday<\/a><\/h3>\nThis was to be departure day, but we decided to take it a little easy and spend the day organizing to really leave tomorrow. \u00a0A good call, I think. \u00a0I reorganized my stuff in the van to make room for the stuff of two more people, and we all had a day to stare at the interior of the van and visualize what to bring. \u00a0A trip to Trader Joe’s for Martha and Tyler food, and we’re set!\u00a0 The final bonus Good Thing about staying “home” tonight is that we are not looking for a campsite on the California coast on Saturday night!<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Tyler is my six year old (oops, seven year old) grandson. \u00a0He is in first grade, and his school has a week off in February – Snow Week. \u00a0Traditional Spring Break is in April. \u00a0His mother Martha and I spent … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1302sandiego"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
I left Reno too late to do the sunset tour of Colusa Wildlife Refuge<\/strong> as I so love to do. I wander into Williams a little after dark. \u00a0There is a giant convention-type tent filling the official overnight RV parking lot, but no worries, they’re actually quite mellow about these things at Granzella’s. \u00a0I park in the next parking lot, and everyone is fine with that. \u00a0I eat and wifi in the sports bar, walk across the street to my van, and all is well …<\/p>\n WHUFU page for: Granzellas Deli<\/a><\/b><\/p> \n They have a parking lot dedicated to overnighters and trucks carrying boats\/trailers. There's one very comfy stop next to a tree. It's really handy for me as an overnight before Harbin.<\/p>\n<\/p> <\/p>tonight<\/b>: \n Sunset at the Colusa wildlife refuge, park, sports bar that night, then breakfast or coffee and baklava the next morning, get a sando for Harbin, and I'm set! \r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n Update: last visit, I think someone tried to break into the van while I was drinking and wifiing in the bar. The screen on the little ventilation window in my sliding door was torn, my only theory is someone tried to reach in and unlock the van - yech!<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div> … until a little before dawn when the garbage trucks start, then a little after dawn when the tent deconstruction crew starts their noisy<\/em> business. \u00a0Clanging of piles of tent poles and rebar tent stakes … for hours. \u00a0So I get up a little earlier than usual and walk across the street for my morning wifi, coffee and food. \u00a0There was one unexpectedly interesting part of the tent deconstruction process, and that is the removal of the tent stakes<\/em>. \u00a0They drive those suckers in really deeply and solidly, and they require a special tool, essentially a six foot long levered pry bar to get them out. \u00a0For the stakes they drove into the actual parking lot asphalt, there is another dude that follows the removal dudes (it takes two dudes tugging on the giant pry bar for the tough ones) to pound some kind of sand mixture into the holes to repair the surface. \u00a0I was pretty impressed with the operation, a much bigger and more layered deal than I would’ve thought to “simply” take a big tent down.<\/p>\n Anyway, 11AM, I’m off on the very pretty drive west on 20 through the low mountains that are the west side of the Central Valley. \u00a0Left on 29 to Clear Lake<\/strong>, then south to Middletown<\/strong> and Harbin. \u00a0It was very green and extra pretty. \u00a0I used to do the drive to Harbin in one day from Reno. Doing that, this part of the drive would be 3 hours into the trip and I would be too stressed and tired to much enjoy it. But as a relaxed, first thing in the morning drive it is quite nice.<\/p>\n WHUFU page for: Harbin Hot Springs<\/a><\/b><\/p> \n All through the 90's and 00's this was my favorite getaway - old resort in the hills, a very hot pool, a just-right pool, a cold plunge, a lap pool that rocks on hot summer days, a cozy lodge, breakfast in the morning, expensive espresso drinks all day, world music dance every Tues and Thurs night. \r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n That whole vibe got vaporized in the fire. But the wonderful hot water is still coming out of the ground and the tubs (and beautiful ironwork railings) are still here!\r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n Last few visits before the cleansing fire I thought they were getting a little too taken with themselves. A Harbin parking ticket?! Give me a break.\r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n Then came the fire that consumed all the beautiful old wooden buildings. Everything that wasn't stone or metal was gone.\r<\/p>\n On the way to rebuilding came COVID, now they're back!\r<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p> <\/p>tonight<\/b>: \n Even this though is my first visit since I started recording this database, I've been here many times before. \r<\/p>\n \r<\/p>\n I stayed in actual rooms 4-5 times in the 90's when I worked at Autodesk, then I've camped here between 2 and 4 times a year since ... 2002? So I'm gonna say I've already visited here over thirty times!\r<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div> Arrive Harbin very early for me, 12:30-ish. \u00a0I settle into my spot, hang out and putter on the laptop till 3-ish, walk over to the pools, soak and hang out till dark-ish, then back to the van for my deli sandwich dinner … then the main event, the reason I always go to Harbin on a Tuesday or Thursday — \u00a0world beat dancing till 10:30! \u00a0The camping area was nearly deserted, as empty as I can remember ever seeing it, so I thought maybe Harbin wasn’t the place for lovers :) \u00a0But the the pools were a real makeout scene (don’t people read the “no sexual activity” signs?!<\/em> :), so I guess all the Valentines couples got rooms … as the cliche goes :) \u00a0The dance was the usual good-natured free for all. \u00a0No excessive PDA, just dancing.<\/p>\n On most Harbin visits my fear of being hungry all afternoon propels me out of bed and up the hill to get to breakfast before they close down at 9:30am. \u00a0This time however my 24 hours are up at 12:30, so my calculation is that this would be a great time to check out brunch in Middletown. \u00a0I get up when I darn well want to, then mosey up to the lodge to hang out til 12:30. \u00a0I get an americano and a goodie from the barista station tucked in the corner – just like most days at home!<\/p>\n When my time was up I did breakfast at the Cowpoke Cake<\/strong> in Middletown<\/strong>. We are close enough to Wine Country that it cost about $3 more than it should, but it was quite nice after the loudmouthed old dude in the cowboy hat left. Then over the mountain to Calistoga<\/strong> and on to Marin!\u00a0Napa Wine Country<\/strong> as viewed from the Silverado Trail<\/strong> was beautiful today. \u00a0Fields of wild mustard were blanketing the hills and the spaces between the rows of grapevines to quite scenic effect.<\/p>\n The Silverado Trail became busy Route 29. I made it through early rush hour to San Rafael<\/strong> by four-ish, in time for Tyler to run me ragged for an hour or so, chasing him around their little basketball court and throwing balls of many sizes and shapes until dark. \u00a0It’s very sweet to look back on, but very exhausting at the time. \u00a0It set the tone for the week. \u00a0When the day’s driving was done, he would wear my ass out every night.<\/p>\n This was to be departure day, but we decided to take it a little easy and spend the day organizing to really leave tomorrow. \u00a0A good call, I think. \u00a0I reorganized my stuff in the van to make room for the stuff of two more people, and we all had a day to stare at the interior of the van and visualize what to bring. \u00a0A trip to Trader Joe’s for Martha and Tyler food, and we’re set!\u00a0 The final bonus Good Thing about staying “home” tonight is that we are not looking for a campsite on the California coast on Saturday night!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Tyler is my six year old (oops, seven year old) grandson. \u00a0He is in first grade, and his school has a week off in February – Snow Week. \u00a0Traditional Spring Break is in April. \u00a0His mother Martha and I spent … Continued<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-330","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-1302sandiego"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=330"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=330"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=330"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"http:\/\/www.whufu.com\/wpwhu\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=330"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Thursday<\/a><\/h3><\/p>\n
<\/a>Friday<\/a><\/h3>\n
<\/a>Saturday<\/a><\/h3>\n